"ALL FEAR IS GONE, FACING DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE"
TEXT: 2 CORINTHIANS 5:1-10
INTRODUCTION
He was a brave man and he loved Jesus. And it did not matter to him who was around, no one would intimidate Him, because he just had to talk about Jesus. And as he was talking about Jesus this day it was not a very receptive audience, that was listening. He had been seized by the teachers of the law who did not like what he was saying and had dragged him before the Sanhedrin.
As the Sanhedrin listened to Stephen as they heard Him call them stiff necked people with uncircumcised hearts, as he accused them of murdering the Messiah, they became furious and they gnashed their teeth at him. They covered their ears and screamed at the top of their voices at Stephen. Then they all rushed at him, grabbing a hold of him and dragging him out of the city to stone Him.
Just moments before the crushing stones would take his life, Stephen looked up into the heavens and he saw the clouds roll away and Stephen saw Jesus standing by the throne of God. And while they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "LORD JESUS, Receive MY SPIRIT" then he fell on his knees and cried out, "LORD DO NOT HOLD THIS AGAINST THEM."
Stephen stared death right in the face and he saw victory, Stephen faced death with confidence and without fear. How could he be so confident, when he knew his life was about to end?
There are many in the world today who not only do not face death with confidence, but who are terribly afraid of death. They either ignore thinking about death or they make fun of death. They do anything they can to keep the thought of death at a safe distance, because they find it’s reality to be so crippling. The Hebrew writer in 2:14, refers to them as "those who all there lives are held in slavery by the fear of death."
Yes many fear death, maybe even some here today? But there are still some, who like Stephen stare death in the face and see it as sweet victory -- For THEM ALL FEAR IS GONE AS THEY FACE DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE!!
During the last year I’ve had the privilege of witnessing such confidence in the face of death first hand... I saw Judy, Walter Speedy and Ray Good stare death right in the face. These three like Shadrac, Meshack and Abendgo faced the fiery furnace. They knew God had the power to deliver them -
If we are in Christ, we too can face death with the confidence of a Stephen or a Ronnie Dukes, because we too realize that death our enemy, is an enemy that Paul says in I Corinthians 15:26 will be destroyed. An enemy that will be defeated when we die.
In 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 Paul gives us 4 principles that TELL how we can face death with confidence. We too can stare at the bony fingers of death without fear and with confidence:
[II CORINTHIANS 5:1-10]
I. WE CAN FACE DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE WHEN WE REALIZE THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A TENT
2 times in these verses Paul refers to our body/physical earthly life as "living in a tent." Now Paul knew a lot about tents -- he was a tent maker and he was trying to teach us something about OUR physical life when he compares it to a tent....
There are 2 qualities about tents that I want to apply to our lives. And both of these qualities underscore the fact why living in a tent is only meant to be temporary. After Hurricane Andrew many were forced to live in a tent when their homes were destroyed. But I am confident that everyone of them planned on this as being only a temporary situation no one intended on staying in those tents permanently. And the reason is because of 2 qualities of tent living.
A. THE FIRST IS THAT TENTS ARE INSECURE
A tent does not make a very good fortress does it? You can not dead bolt the door against intruders. It is made of canvass and it is not to good at keeping a wild animal out, that wants to get in. A tent is also not the place we would want to be seeking shelter in during the middle of a raging storm, at any moment it could collapse or be blown away. Life in a tent is uncertain at best.
In like manner this life is uncertain. It can be destroyed at any second. One moment things can be going pretty good and the next minute an intruder breaks in or a strong wind blows us away (just last week a member of our church father died in a freak accident at the age of 46.
No matter how much insurance we buy, no mater how much money we save, security systems we install -- no matter how much of the worlds goods we accumulate -- all of this does not change the fact that in this life, living in this earthly physical body we are merely living in a tent that can be blown over rather easily and at any time. David in I Samuel 20;3 summarized this truth well when he wrote, "THERE IS ONLY ONE STEP BETWEEN ME AND DEATH."
B. THE SECOND QUALITY OF A TENT IS THAT IT IS UNCOMFORTABLE
This is another reason that most people don’t want to live in a tent a longtime (even those who like to camp).
Tents are not that comfortable, Judy’s idea of roughing it, is staying at a Holiday Inn, AC blazing and maids to make your beds.
But I have to admit that I find that a lot more comfortable then sleeping in a tent. Many times in a tent it is hot and humid, the mosquitoes are biting, the ground gets harder and harder the more you try to sleep, the bathroom is a long way from where you are and you have to put shoes on. So I usually lay there tossing turning unable to sleep, dripping with perspiration, listening to the guy next to me snore, inhaling the smell of dirty socks, a rock jabbing me between my shoulder blades...thinking, "yeah right, this is the life, I ’d rather be home on my soft bed with my AC."
The longer we live in this world and in this tent (our body), the more uncomfortable it gets. Paul says in 2 Corinth 5:4, "WHILE WE ARE IN THIS TENT WE GROAN AND ARE BURDENED." There are many things that make this life uncomfortable, sickness, disease, financial problems..etc. Have you ever found physical life in your tent a bit uncomfortable??
WE WILL FACE DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE WHEN WE REALIZE THAT LIFE IN THIS TENT IS NOT SO GREAT, AT TIMES IT IS QUIT A STRUGGLE, IT IS NOT VERY SECURE AND IT GETS MORE AND MORE UNCOMFORTABLE ALL THE TIME. AND WHEN WE REALIZE THIS, WE WON’T HAVE TOO, OR WANT TO, HOLD ON SO TIGHTLY TO THIS TENT... NOW THIS DOESN’T MEAN WE WANT TO DIE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH LIVING, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT WE ARE CONFIDENT IN THE FACE OF DEATH, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS LIFE IS ONLY MEANT TO BE TEMPORARY AND THAT OVERTIME IT IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY MORE UNCOMFORTABLE AND MORE OF A STRUGGLE... THAT IS THE REASON REVELATION 14;13 SAYS "HAPPY ARE THE DEAD WHO DIE IN THE LORD ...THEY WILL FIND REST FROM THEIR LABOR."
II. WE CAN ALSO FACE DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE WHEN WE UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE
There are many different things that people fear, falling, closed spaces, spiders, heights..etc BUT One of the greatest fears OF ALL is the fear of the unknown.
Do YOU remember the fear you had when you first called that girl for a date, buying a home, leaving for college or that job interview. Most people like to have things planned so they know what’s going to happen and when, we really don’t like for there to be too many surprises. Doing something for the first time can be scary. and Since none of us have ever died, death can be a scary thought.
A. PERHAPS THE BEST ANTIDOTE FOR THIS KIND OF FEAR "FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN", IS INFORMATION.
The Word of God in this text and in other places tells us what is going to transpire when we die. Basically four things will happen.... Each of us in this room, if the Lord tarries will go thorough this four things...
1. First there is a departure of the spirit from the body
This tent/this body we have is just an outer casing. Inside this body is a spirit that gives our body life. It is this spirit that makes us who we are. Let me try to illustrate this. All of us have seen, or have ourselves put on, a glove. When we put our hand into a glove it is the hand that give the glove it’s shape. When the hand is removed from a glove, the form of the hand remains in the limp glove but the object that gave it life is gone. In like manner when we die the body maintains it’s form but the spirit that gave it life departs. When Jesus came to The daughter of Jarius the synagogue ruler to bring her back from the dead, the Word of God says that, "HE TOOK HER BY THE HAND AND SAID, `MY CHILD GET UP!’ HER SPIRIT THEN RETURNED AND SHE AT ONCE STOOD UP!" WHEN WE DIE OUR SPIRIT LEAVES OUR BODY.
2. after the departure from the body comes the immediate presence with the Lord
Paul said in verse 8 of our text: "WE ARE CONFIDENT I SAY AND WOULD PREFER TO BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD."
There is no intermediate state for the Christian as some believe to take care of and purge their sins. Jesus took care of that at the cross. And when Christian die they are immediately in the presence of the Lord....Think about that for a moment...
3. Following this will be the receiving of our new body at the Glorious return of Christ (His second coming) Paul said, "we will not be found naked." {w/o a body}. {I We read in Corinthians 15:50-57}
We are not going to spend eternity as some disembodied spirit floating on a cloud in the middle of nothingness, we are getting new bodies when Christ returns. I love the words of (I Thessalonians 4:16-18)
4. After this comes the judgment, WE ALL MUST APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, SO THAT EACH ONE MAY RECEIVE WHAT IS DUE HIM FOR THE THINGS DONE IN THE BODY WHETHER GOOD OR BAD."
The Judgment for the non - Christians will be a judgment of sin. They will receive the sentence for their sins eternal death (ETERNAL separation for God and all that is good).
The judgment of Christians is not for sins, Our sins have been washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ... we are not accountable for them. Our judgment will be to determine our rewards. There will be greater rewards for martyrs like Paul then for softies like most of us. "OUR WORK (THE THINGS WE DO AND THE LIFE WE LIVE FOR CHRIST), WILL BE SHOWN FOR WHAT IT IS.. IT WILL BE REVEALED BY FIRE, AND THE FIRE WILL TEST THE QUALITY OF EACH MAN’S WORK. IF IT SURVIVES, HE WILL RECEIVE HIS REWARD. IF IT IS BURNED UP, HE WILL SUFFER LOSS; HE HIMSELF WILL BE SAVED, BUT ONLY AS ONE ESCAPING THROUGH THE FLAMES." (I CORINTH 3)
THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE; OUR SPIRIT DEPARTS AND WE GO TO BE WITH THE LORD -- IMMEDIATELY. THEN AT THE RETURN OF CHRIST WE GET A NEW BODY, WE’LL STAND BEFORE CHRIST TO RECEIVE OUR REWARDS AND THEN COMES PERFECT EXISTENCE IN ETERNITY WITH JESUS. JESUS SAID, "DON’T LET YOUR HEARTS BE TROUBLED. TRUST IN GOD; TRUST ALSO IN ME. IN MY FATHER HOUSE ARE MANY ROOMS; IF IT WERE NOT SO, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU. I AM GOING THERE TO PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU. AND IF I GO AND PREPARE A PLACE FOR YOU, I WILL COME BACK AND TAKE YOU TO BE WITH ME THAT YOU ALSO MAY BE WHERE I AM."
III. THE THIRD PRINCIPLE THAT HELPS US FACE DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE IS WHEN WE EAGERLY ANTICIPATE ETERNAL LIFE.
When we realize that we are now only living in a tent, when we understand what happens when we die, we should eagerly anticipate eternal life. The longer we live the more attractive heaven should BE TO us. An old preacher once said, "I am so homesick for heaven. It is the hope of dying that has kept me alive for this long."
Paul in our text says, "WE GROAN, LONGING TO BE CLOTHED WITH OUR HEAVENLY DWELLING", WE WOULD PREFER TO BE AWAY FROM THE BODY AND AT HOME WITH THE LORD."
WE GROAN, WE LONG... W EPREFER TO BE CLOTHED IN OUR HEVANELY BODY.
Listen to this anonymous poem describing the eagerness of going to heaven:
The view of heaven that I sing is not of angles on the wing.
white robed with hearts and golden crowns.
I vision rather little towns with smog less skies and rivers clear. And not an airplane you can hear.
No dust, no rust, no rats, no rot; no raucous rock no potent pot, No growing old and weakened sight, no dentures slipping when you bite. No bombs, no guns, no courts, no jails, where all succeed and no one fails. No strikes, no layoffs, full employment, and everyone with job enjoyment. All tell the truth, state only facts, no wars, no debts, no income tax. According to this dream of mine, in heaven no one stands in line, and there are only smiling faces and lots and lots of parking spaces.
I look forward to going to heaven, I eagerly anticipate getting my new body. I look forward to seeing those loved ones who have gone before me and of meeting and talking to Paul and Peter and millions of others. I long to live in a world with out sin, sorrow and pain. And I look forward to praising Jesus and God as we stand before their throne in heaven.
Can you just imagine standing next to millions of believers and singing Amazing Grace, How great thou Art, Or Jesus I just want to Thank You, When Jesus is standing right in front of us.
WHEN WE ALL GET TO HEAVEN WHAT A DAY OF REJOICING THAT WILL BE WHEN WE ALL SEE JESUS WE’LL SING AND SHOUT THE VICTORY....
WHEN: WE REALIZE THAT WE ARE NOW LIVING IN A TENT (AN INSECURE, UNCOMFORTABLE TEMPOARY HOME)
WE UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE(LEAVE BODY; HOME WITH LORD; NEW BODY ; REWARDS)
WE EAGERLY ANTICIPATE ETERNAL LIFE (LONG, GROAN, PREFER TO BE THERE)
IV. AND WHEN WE ARE ASSURED OF OUR PERSONAL SALVATION --- WE CAN FACE DEATH WITH GREAT CONFIDENCE....
Paul says in our text in verse 1, "WE HAVE A BUILDING FROM GOD AN ETERNAL HOUSE IN HEAVEN."
Our home in heaven is not a maybe -- in Christ it is already a reality. We can count on it. Listen to what Paul says in verse 5, "NOW IT IS GOD WHO HAS MADE US FOR THIS VERY PURPOSE AND HAS GIVEN US THE SPIRIT AS A DEPOSIT, GUARANTEEING WHAT IS TO COME."
IT HAS BEEN GOD’S PURPOSE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING TO CLOTHE US WITH A HEAVENLY BODY THAT WILL NOT, GROAN BE BURDENED OR DIE.
AND GOD HAS GUARANTEED IT BY MAKING A DEPOSIT.
When we go out of town, many times we make a reservation for a room at a hotel in advance.. When we arrive we know that we have a room because we have a guarantee from the hotel, and a piece of paper to prove it.
We also know (and we can be much more certain) that we have a room in heaven.,Jesus Christ has already paid the way on the cross. And at our baptism he washed away our sins and gave us the Holy SPIRIT TO INDWELL US AND HELP US BEGIN THE PROCESS OF BECOMING CHRIST LIKE. PAUL SAYS THAT THE HS IS OUR GUARANTEE THAT JESUS IS COMING BACK TO BRING US HOME. HE WOULD NOT HAVE PUT DOWN A DEPOSIT -- IF HE WASN’T PLANNING ON COMING BACK TO GET US....
[6-9]
7 WE CAN’T SEE HEAVEN PHYSICALLY, WE CAN’T PROVE IT EXISTS, NEVERTHELESS 8 WE ARE SO SURE IT’S THERE THAT WE’D RATHER BE THERE THEN HERE.
Are you confident that when you die you’ll go to heaven? If you are a Christian you should be. Let me share 3 verses of scripture with you.
The first 2 tell us how we get into God’s family,
Romans 10:9, "IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FORM THE DEAD YOU WILL BE SAVED."
MARK 16:16, "WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED."
If you believe in Jesus, all you have to do is confess him before men, repent of your sins, surrender your life to him and be immersed. If you’ve done that you need not doubt you are saved.
THE 3RD SCRIPTURE IS I JOHN 1:9, "IF WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST AND WILL FORGIVE OUR SINS."
SOME PEOPLE DOUBT THEIR SALVATION BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT LIVED A PERFECT LIFE SINCE THEY WERE SAVED. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT NO ONE HAS AND THAT GOD HAS SAID IF WE CONFESS (TO SAY THE SAME THING, TO AGREE WITH GOD THAT IT IS SIN AND TO TRY AS HARD AS WEE CAN TO NEVER DO IT AGAIN) AND HE WILL FORGIVE US...
IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN -- HAVE OBEYED THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION, YOU ARE SAVED...
DON’T EXPECT TO BE PERFECT, YOU’LL MAKE MISTAKES/SIN (THAT’S WHY WE NEEDED A SAVIOR IN THE FIRST PLACE) BUT IF WE ARE REALLY TRYING AND GOD KNOWS OUR HEARTS WE CAN BE CONFIDENT OF OUR SALVATION.
CONCLUSION
WE CAN FACE DEATH WITH CONFIDENCE WHEN WE:
ARE ASSURED OF OUR PERSONAL SALVATION....
ARE EAGER TO GO TO HEAVEN (WALK THOSE STREETS OF GOLD)
UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE
REALIZE THIS BODY IS ONLY A TENT.
DERRICK JOHNSON IS A SINGER WITH A GROUP CALLED REGENERATION. HE OFTEN TELLS THE STORY OF WHEN HIS FOUR YEAR OLD DAUGHTER GOT LOST IN A CROWED SUPERMARKET. AFTER AN ANXIOUS SEARCH, SHE WAS FOUND ONLY ONE AISLE OVER FROM HER MOTHER, BUT SHE WAS PETRIFIED. FOR A LONG TIME AFTER THAT SHE WAS AFRAID OF CROWDS.
SHORTLY AFTER THAT THEY HAD A DEVOTIONAL ABOUT HEAVEN ONE NIGHT, AND THE LITTLE GIRL SAID, "DADDY, WILL THERE BE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HEAVEN?"
"YES, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN HEAVEN, ’ HE SAID. "SO MANY THAT WE CAN’T EVEN COUNT THEM, THE BIBLE SAYS."
"HOW WILL I EVER FIND YOU AND MOMMY WHEN I GET TO HEAVEN?" SHE ASKED.
HE KNEW THAT WAS A CHILDISH QUESTION, BUT HE WANTED TO GIVE HER AN ANSWER. "I’LL TELL YOU WHAT -- WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN YOU JUST WAIT FOR US RIGHT INSIDE THE GATE, AND WE’LL ALL MEET THERE AS A FAMILY."
"DADDY" SHE SAID, "IS THERE MORE THAN ONE GATE IN HEAVEN?"
HE REMEMBERED THAT REVELATION SAID THAT THERE ARE 4 WALLS AND THERE ARE 3 GATES IN EVERY WALL. HE SAID, "YES, THERE ARE 12."
SHE SAID, "THEN WHICH GATE DO I MEET YOU"
HE SAID, "I’LL TELL YOU WHAT. WHEN YOU GET TO HEAVEN , YOU ASK SOMEONE WHICH WAY IS EAST. THEN JUST WALK AND WALK UNTIL YOU COME TO THE EASTERN WALL, AND THEN YOU FIND THE MIDDLE GATE IN THE EASTERN WALL. WE’LL ALL MEET AS A FAMILY JUST INSIDE THE MIDDLE EASTERN GATE."
THAT SEEMED TO SATISFY HER AND HE KISSED HER GOOD NIGHT. THEN HE SAID, "NOW REMEMBER, WE’RE GOING TO MEET INSIDE--"
"THE MIDDLE EASTERN GATE"-- SHE INTERRUPTED.
EVER SINCE THAT TIME HE AND HIS DAUGHTER WHO IS NOW GROWN HAVE HARDLY EVER SAID GOOD BYE WITH OUT ONE SAYING "MEET YOU JUST INSIDE", AND THE OTHER SAYING "THE MIDDLE EASTERN GATE."
SOMEDAY WE TOO WILL MEET OUR LOVED ONES JUST INSIDE THE GATE. WE KNOW THAT TO BE ABSENT FROM THE BODY IS TO BE HOME WITH THE LORD. WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE DON’T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD....
ARE YOU GOING TO BE THERE -- IF YOU HAVEN’T MADE RESERVATIONS NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME....
RONNIE THE ONE I MENTIONED EARLIER -- HAD A HEART BYPASS HIS SECOND AND HE EVENTUALLY NEEDED TO HAVE A TRANSPLANT -- SOMEONE HAD TO DIE FOR HIM TO LIVE... WOULD IT HAVE BEEN CRAZY FOR HIM TO REFUSE THE HEART WHEN HE COULD LIVE...
JESUS DIED SO WE COULD LIVE -- YET SOME REFUSE -- IF YOU HAVE NEVER OBEYED THE GOSPEL PLAN OF SALVATION -- NOW IS THE TIME.
AND IF YOU HAVE, LET ME CLOSE WITH THESE WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT FROM GOD
I THESSALONIANS 4:13-18
